Wristband



2 April 26, 1949..

J- C. HOWELL WRIST BAND 'Filed May a, 1945 IN V EN TOR.

" Joseph C. Howe/l gQAW A TTORNEYS Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRISTBAND Josepha Howell, Fort Lee. N; J. ApplicationlVIay s, 1945,. Serial No. 592,655

This inventionhas general reference to bracelets and refers more particularly to an improved bracelet fashioned from a strip of flexible spring metal so as to provide strength and durability while affordin flexing of the bracelet throughout its periphery to thereby avoid binding action against any portion of the wrist and permitting bending thereof with movement of the wrist.

Th invention also comprehends a bracelet of the indicated character which may also constitute a band for a wrist watch and in which the strip of spring metal progressively increases in flexibility from the medial portion thereof toward the opposite ends and with interengageable fastening means carried by the opposite end portions of the strip for securing the bracelet together in band formation in a manner to preclude relative movement of the secured ends.

The invention further has in view a bracelet 'or wrist band provided with a tension plate secured to and underlying the medial portion thereof which overlies the back'of the wrist and which plate has its opposite end portions free or unsecured and disposed in engagement with the opposite curved side portions of the bracelet or band so as to stiffen the said medial portion thereof and exert a tension-against the side portions of the bracelet or band for maintaining the same in elliptical formation approximating the contour of the wrist.

The invention also embodies a wrist band of the indicated character which is provided with an upstanding peripheral rim secured to the medial portion thereof for receiving a watch movement therein.

With the aforementioned and other objects in view reference is now made to the following specification and. accompanying drawings in which are illustrated the preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a bracelet or wrist band constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating parts thereof in section.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of a modified form of the invention with parts broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the bracelet or wrist band consists of an elongated strip of flexible spring metal preferably of a non-corrosive character which will not react with the moisture given off by the skin 3 Claims. (01. ca -11 and which strip is formed with a relatively wide medial portion l0 adapted to overlie the back of the wrist and opposite end portions II and 12 which progressively decrease in width from the medial portion ID to the free ends thereof. The said end portions II and i2 are provided with interengageable fastening means for securing the same together in overlapped relation and the strip in endless or band formation. This construction provides a bracelet or wrist band in which the medial portion thereof and the overlapped ends are relatively more inflexible than th portions atthe sides thereof whereby the bracelet or wrist band is normally maintained in elliptical formation when the ends of the strip are secured in overlapped relation so that the formation of the bracelet or wrist band approximates the contour of the wrist while the side portions thereof are relatively flexible so as to permit bending thereof with the movement of the wrist at the same time avoiding binding action about the wrist.

The interengageable fastening means consist of one or more studs l3, two being shown in the embodiment illustrated which protrude through the underlapped portion l2 of the strip in longitudinally spaced relation with the free ends of the studs extending outwardly therefrom and adapted to snugly fit in the openings M in the overlapped end portion ll of the strip so as to secure the ends together and prevent relative movement thereof in the direction of the curvature of the overlapped portion of the bracelet or wrist band. The studs l3 are of circular formation in cross-section, the openings [4 adapted to receive the studs being of similar shape and of a size to snugly and slidably receive the studs. The underlapped end portion 12 is provided with a fiat strip l5 formed with its opposite ends inturned and welded as at It or otherwise secured to the outer face of said end portion to form a loop therewith adjacent the studs I3 for receiving therethrough the free end of the overlapped end portion II for retaining the studs It in the openings l4 against accidental or unintentional separation.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings the wrist band similarly consists of an elongated strip of flexible spring metal provided with a relatively wide medial portion l I and opposite end portions 18 and [9 of relatively greater flexibility than the medial portion and which are adapted to be secured together in overlapped relation as illustrated in the previous form of the invention. In this form of the invention, however, the medial portion l1 is formed with an upstanding peripheral rim 20 which is welded or otherwise secured to the outer face of the said medial portion and projects outwardly therefrom with the rim defining an opening 2i adapted to receive therein a watch movement. In order to reinforce the said medial portion I! and to exert a tension against the opposite side portions of the wrist band so as to maintain the same in elliptical formation approximating the contour of the wrist, a tension plate 22 of flexible spring metal is provided which underlies the medial portion ll of the wrist band and is secured thereto preferably by spot welding as at 23 adjacent the opposite longitudinal edges thereof. The tension plate 22 is formed with reduced opposite ends 24 which are tensioned against the inner faces of the end portions l8 and I9 and have free relative movement with reference thereto.

In addition to reinforcing the medial portion" 'able fastening means consisting of one or more studs l3 and the openings [4 in which the studs are adapted to snugly fit together with the loop formed by the strip l5 releasably secures the ends of the strip together in overlapped relation which can be released by flexing the end portions of the strip in the region of the studs so as to withdraw the studs from the openings. The end portion II is provided with a plurality of openings l4 four being shown in the embodiment illustrated whereby the studs may engage different openings so as to vary the size of the band.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wrist band to be worn as an ornament, an elongated strip of flexible spring metal, an upstanding peripheral rim rigidly aflixed to the outer face of said strip medially thereof with the rim defining an opening adapted to receive an article to be carried by said band, a tension plate of flexible spring metal secured to the under-surface of said strip and underlying the medial portion thereof with the opposite ends of Cir 4 the tension plate extending beyond the ends of said peripheral rim, said plate having its opposite end portions free and tensioned against the opposite portions of the strip when in band formation and interengageable fastening means adjacent the free ends of said strip for releasably coupling the same in band formation with the end portions of the strip arranged in overlapped relation.

2. In a, wristband to be worn as an ornament, an elongated strip of flexible spring material, an upstanding peripheral rim rigidly aflixed to the outer face of said strip medially thereof with the rim defining an opening adapted to receive an article to be carried by said band, a tension plate of flexible spring material secured to the undersurface of said strip and underlying the medial portion thereof with the opposite ends of the tension plate extendingbeyond the ends of said peripheral rim, said plate having its opposite end portions free and tensioned against the opposite portions of the strip when in band formation and interengageable fastening means adjacent the free ends of said strip for releasably coupling the same in band formation.

3. In a wrist band to be worn as an ornament, an'elongated strip of flexible spring material, a tension plate of flexible spring material secured to the underside of the medial portion of said strip with the opposite end portions of said tension plate being free and tensioned against the opposite side portions of the strip when in band formation, and interengageable fastening means adjacent the free ends of said strip for releasably coupling the same in band formation.

JOSEPH C. HOWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 258,111 Pervear May 16, 1882 1,165,262 Jolly Dec. 21, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 130,864 Great Britain Aug. 14, 1919 

